Friday 11
LOVE CROSSING Hey, did you happen to save your Orlando Broadway Dinner Theater tickets when the venerable home of buffets and belting it out went belly-up at the end of 2004? Probably not; odds are, you tossed the now-worthless ducats into a homemade bonfire when you realized you had bought entry to a joint that didn't exist anymore. If you held onto them or even if your patronage was obvious in other ways a group of similarly inconvenienced performers wants to reward your undying devotion to drama with a song in its heart. The new Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, a production company founded by three OBDT veterans who found themselves out of work when the ax fell, has commandeered the Studio Theatre to present Love Crossing, a Celebration of Love in Song, Dance and Stories. Ghostlight co-founder Karla Schultz says the show is a specially compiled and choreographed evening of material that ranges from traditional musical theater to Sinatra and Nat King Cole to more contemporary stage selections. There's even a narrative "through line" for the five-person cast to follow as they bounce from one romantic melody to another. Love Crossing runs for one weekend only, but Schultz promises that anyone who shows up within that time frame bearing an unused ticket to an OBDT show will receive the group rate ($8). She'll even extend the courtesy to patrons whose faces she recognizes from her tenure as an actor and server at the once-indomitable Edgewater Drive establishment. Just don't expect peach cobbler; we're not in PoliGrip Land any more, Toto. (8 p.m. at Studio Theatre; also 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; 407-862-8218; $10; group rate $8)
Saturday 12
NEGRO SPIRITUAL SCHOLAR-SHIP FOUNDATION'S VOCAL COMPETITION Definitely not American Idol, this is a humble showdown between some gospel-filled teens who're working their blessed talents. There are five Orlando voices that have made it to the final round of the nonprofit Negro Spiritual Foundation's annual event, and they'll sing their little hearts out along with nine other talents from around the state. There are prizes ($300 cash and a $3,000 scholarship) but these kids are about hope and praise. Pure entertainment. (12:30 p.m. at Florida Southern College, Lakeland; 407-426-1717, ext. 105; free, reservation required)
WELDING SCULPTURE WORKSHOP Well-respected artists and he-men Frank Gady and David Cumbie break out the pulleys, transoms and torches for their two-day crash course in designing and creating a substantially sized steel sculpture. (Cumbie's the curator for the school's sculpture garden, so the project will live there for eternity.) This is a popular weekend course, so sign up ASAP. (9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Crealdé School of Art, Winter Park; 407-671-1886; $200, $220)
Sunday 13
NESKIMOS The concept for this band arouses in us the same curiosity as when we receive a clutch of releases from the Vitamin Records label. You see, the NESkimos only play covers of songs from games like Double Dragon or Zelda for the old Nintendo and Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems (get it: NES-kimos?); and Vitamin puts out these strange tribute albums, on which a string quartet covers an album's worth of hits by craptastic artists such as Creed, Nickelback and Clay Aiken. It's novel for about two songs, but gets old quick. And then you realize that someone somewhere will actually buy a copy of this, content to listen to music that isn't necessarily good just familiar. Maybe these two musical monoliths should join forces and really cash in. They could perform string quartet renditions of the "Intel Inside" sound, the "By Mennen" jingle, or even the Premier Adult Factory Outlet theme. (with Voodoo Organist; 10 p.m. at Will's Pub; 407-898-5070; $5)
Monday 14
COCKTAIL HOUR Fans of dyed-in-the-wool drama queen Tammy Kopko and her hooch-fueled monthly variety show know to expect zero conventionality out of either. February's foray will feature "Broken Hearts Club," various swoony festivities highlighted by Kopko's take on the bachelor auction. The action will be typically atypical, with excitable contestants bidding on six highly available fellas three gay, two straight and one who's, um, up for anything. (We know who that last one is, but we're not telling. Do we look like a Sotheby's catalog to you?) Loving couples can even bid for a willing third party, though the "date" they go on will be restricted to the premises, as will the more traditional pairings. And what of the funds to be raised, Tammy? Will they be funneled to a charity of some sort? "No, booze!" she burbles. She means the money will be spent on bar tabs for the winning bidders we think. (10 p.m. at The Peacock Room; 407-228-0048; free)